Intervention
In seven studies20,22,23-26,28, a comparison was made between ICS+SC and SABA vs. saline solution (as a placebo)+SC and SABA. Only two studies21,27 included different interventions for comparison: Kassisse et al.27 included no placebo and Sano et al.21 compared ICS+SC and SABA vs. ipratropium bromide+SC and SABA. All the studies performed in the ED used nebulized budesonide as the ICS in the intervention group at various total doses from 1 mg to 3 mg (administrated in two or three nebulizations). Two21,26 out of three of the hospitalized studies described the use of nebulized budesonide during hospitalization (2mg/day up to 5 days in Razi et al.26and “0.25 mg of inhaled budesonide suspension 4 times daily to a total dose of 1 mg/d throughout the hospitalization period” in Sano et al.21). All the studies included SC as the standard care for both intervention and control groups (Table 1).